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New Mac Guidelines
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NewMacGuidelines.md

New Mac Guidelines

Settings (previously Preferences)

  • Apple Acount + Connect the Messages App to Apple Account
  • Appearance - Dark
  • Accessibility
    • Zoom - Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom - Turn on
    • Spoken Content
      • System Voice - Samantha
      • Turn on "Speak selection"
    • Pointer Control > Trackpad Options - Enable Dragging with three finger drag
  • Desktop & Dock
    • Dock - Automatically hide and show the Dock - Turn on
    • Widgets - Default web browser - Set to Chrome
  • Control Center
    • Go through Menu Bar and Control Center icons
    • Don't show Spotlight and Siri in the menu bar
  • Spotlight
    • If not using Alfred
      • Turn off unneeded results
  • Keyboard
    • Key Repeat - Fast
    • Delay Until Repeat - Short
    • Press Globe key to - Do nothing
    • Shortcuts
      • Mission Control
        • Uncheck "Mission Control"
        • Uncheck "Turn Do Not Disturb on/off"
        • Uncheck "Application Windows"
      • Windows
        • General
          • Uncheck "Minimize"
      • Input Sources
        • Uncheck "Previous" (blocks Intellisense hotkey in IDE's)
        • Update "Next" to be Option + CMD + Space
      • Services
        • Disable what's not needed
        • Files and Folders
          • Update hotkeys for Beyond Compare (after installing it)
            • Compare Files - Ctrl + Option + Cmd + ]
            • Compare Folders - Ctrl + Option + Cmd + [
            • Select Left File for Compare - Ctrl + Cmd + ]
            • Select Left Folder for Compare - Ctrl + Cmd + [
      • Spotlight
      • App Shortcuts
        • SourceTree.app
          • Open - CMD + DownArrow
    • Text Input - Edit
      • Uncheck Add period with double-space
  • Trackpad
    • Point & Click
      • Trackpad speed - 7
      • Turn on "Tap to click"
    • More Gestures
      • Swipe between full screen apps - Use four fingers
      • App Expose - Turn on with Four Fingers
  • Displays
    • Setup Night Shift
  • Lock Screen
    • Set Turn display off and Screen Saver to Never
  • Touch ID & Password
    • Setup Touch ID with the index finger of each hand
    • Enable "Use Touch ID" to unlock your Mac and the rest
    • Apple Watch (if you have one)
      • Enable unlocking applications and Mac with Apple Watch

Setup

  • Make sure Git is installed and latest
    • git --version
    • git config --global user.name "NAME_HERE"
    • git config --global user.email "EMAIL_HERE"
  • Install Dropbox
    • Used for syncing configs between several computers
    • Make available offline
      • Finder > Dropbox > Settings
  • Install VS Code and VS Code Insiders
    • Turn on Settings Sync for VS Code
    • Command Palette - Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH
    • Set as default editor for Git
      • git config --global core.editor "code -n --wait"
  • Hacks
  • Install Karabiner-Elements (download from the site)
    • Choose keyboard type (ANSI, ISO, etc.) based on Keyboards: ANSI Vs ISO Vs JIS
    • Map CMD + § to CMD + `
      • Simple Modifications > For all devices
        • From: Controls and symbols > grave_accent_and_tilde
        • To: Controls and symbols > non_us_backslash
    • UI - Disable show icon in menu bar
  • Finder
    • Go through the settings (e.g. Folders on Top)
    • Show hidden files - CMD + Shift + Dot
  • Install Rectangle (Windows management tool)
    • Import setting (or go through the settings)
  • Install iTerm
    • General > Preferences
      • Check "Load preferences from a custom folder" (load from Dropbox)
      • Save changes - Automatically
  • Install Homebrew
  • Install Fira Code font
  • Setup ~/.zshrc and ~/.profile
  • Setup computer name (e.g. MacbookAlex)
  • Install duti (default apps for file types)
    • brew install duti
    • duti ~/.duti
  • Install command line tools
    • scm_breeze - Git shortcuts
    • rnr - Batch rename files and directories
    • fx - JSON viewer & processor
    • eza - Better ls
    • bat - Like cat but with syntax highlighting
    • sd - Better sed
    • fd - Needed for fzf below
    • fzf
      • brew install fzf
      • $(brew --prefix)/opt/fzf/install
  • Install Node.js
    • mkdir ~/.fnm
    • Install fnm
      • curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash -s -- --install-dir "./.fnm" --skip-shell
  • Install Python
  • Install PHP (needed for the Alfred GitHub Workflow)
    • brew install php

Apps

  • Contacts
    • Add Google account
  • Alfred - Much better than Spotlight
  • Script Kit - Automate your Mac with TypeScript
    • After installation, install my custom kenv (private)
    • Setup - Run in Kit
      • Manage Kenvs > Trust kenv - alex-kenv
      • Kit Settings > Generate bin files (this might not be needed)
    • Uninstall Instructions
  • Chrome, Chrome Canary
    • Settings
      • On startup > Continue where you left off
  • Google Drive
  • iTerm 2 - Nice terminal
  • Karabiner-Elements - Keys settings
  • 1Password - Settings
    • General
      • Turn off "Keep 1Password in the menu bar"
      • Keyboard Shortcuts
        • Show 1Password - Ctrl + Option + Cmd + X
        • Lock 1Password - Remove
        • Autofill - Ctrl + Option + Cmd + \
      • Security
        • Confirm my account password - Every 30 days
        • Turn on "Use universal clipboard"
        • Turn on "Use Option to toggle revealed fields"
  • Keka - 7z/Archive app
  • Kap - Screen recording (GIF, WebM, MP$)
  • HandBrake (video converter)
  • Node.js
  • Shortcat - GUI accessibility with the keyboard
  • Sip - Color picker
  • Slack
  • Rectangle - Windows management tool
    • Legacy alternative - Slate - Low level with code
  • SourceTree - Git client
  • VS Code
  • qBittorrent
  • VLC
  • CheatSheet
  • Clipboard History
    • If you buy the Alfred PowerPack, it already has best in class Clipboard History
    • Script Kit has a free Clipboard History
    • Flycut
  • muzzle - Turns on Do-not-Disturb when screen-sharing in Zoom, etc.
  • hidden - Menu bar management

Paid Applications

  • PowerPack for Alfred - Productivity (Paid)
    • Clipboard History, Snippets, Workflows, Finder File Actions and much more
  • Beyond Compare - Files comparison (Paid)
    • Install the Command Line Tools from the app menu
    • alfred-beyondcompare4
    • macOS Preferences
      • Extensions - Enable "Finder Extensions"
  • MacPaw CleanMyMac 3 (paid) and Gemini 2 - Mac maintenance

System Preferences Extensions

  • RCDefaultApp - Set default apps files and more

Alfred Workflows (requires PowerPack)

Installed via npm

  • alfred-npms
  • alfred-fkill
  • Setup
    • In multi comp setup, can't install globally as it updates the symlinks in ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/Settings/Alfred/Alfred.alfredpreferences/workflows
    • Run the "Setup App Settings Symlinks" workflow, and then:
      • cd ~/.config/alfred-npm-workflows
      • yarn --force
    • Or manually for the first time:
      • mkdir ~/.config/alfred-npm-workflows
      • cd ~/.config/alfred-npm-workflows
      • yarn add [workflow] (not --global)

Need to test

Tips

Other Stuff

Tutorials

Preparing Migration to a New Mac

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